Jazz in Japan is synonymous with Sadao Watanabe, the cheerful, jowly alto saxophonist who has been a fixture of the Japanese jazz scene since his debut in the ' For the first two weeks in July, the Blue Note Tokyo's Joy of Sounds concerts will provide an opportunity to assess Watanabe's far-reaching musical scope and breadth of experience developed over five decades. It additionally offers the chance to contrast Watanabe's Brazilian-influenced jazz with the contemporary Brazilian pop of Lenine, who will be through town in June. Cutting his teeth with Toshiko Akiyoshi's seminal bop group in the '50s, Watanabe went on to polish his resume at the Berklee College of Music in Boston before returning to Japan in the late '60s. Since then he has recorded steadily, releasing a spectrum of material ranging from straight-ahead bebop to Brazilian-influenced pop sessions. The upcoming Joy of Sounds gigs will examine different musical interests of Watanabe's, including, among others, American Jazz Nights (7/2-6) pairing him with American modern jazz sax legend Jackie McLean, Brazilian Nights (7/7-11) featuring pianist Cesar and the Amigos do Brazil, and African Nights (7/12-15) with African percussion group N'Goma Makamba.

Joy of Sounds takes place at the Blue Note Tokyo on June 11 and July 2-15. See concert listings for details.